1. Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that can substantially prevent heat emission from a fusing device to an outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is an apparatus that prints an image on a printing medium, e.g., paper, according to an inputted image signal. As one type of image forming apparatus, an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus is configured such that light is scanned to a photosensitive body charged with a predetermined electric potential to form an electrostatic latent image on an outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive body. The electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by supplying a toner to the electrostatic latent image, and the toner image is transferred onto paper.
The toner image transferred onto the paper is just carried on the paper, but is not fused to the paper. Therefore, an image forming apparatus includes a fusing device to fuse the transferred toner image to the paper. The fusing device generally includes a heating roller having a heat source therein, and a press roller in close contact with the heating roller to form a fusing nip at a contact portion with the heating roller. If the toner image transferred paper passes between the rotating heating roller and the press roller, the toner image is fused to the paper by heat transferred from an interior of the heating roller and pressure generated between the heating roller and the press roller.
The image forming apparatus is provided with a cover above the fusing device to permit a user to obtain access to an interior of a main body of the image forming apparatus when intending to inspect the interior of the main body or remove jammed paper from the fusing device.
The heat generated from the heating roller mounted in the fusing device is transferred to the cover mounted above the fusing device by radiation, conduction and convection phenomena. Because a user frequently touches the cover whenever inspecting the interior of the apparatus, if the cover becomes hot by the heat transferred from the fusing device, it gives the user an unpleasant feeling when touching the cover.
To solve this problem, Korean Patent Registration No. 0463273 discloses an image forming apparatus having a heat shielding member mounted between a fusing device and a cover. The heat shielding member intercepts the heat transferred from the fusing device from reaching the cover by reflecting the heat, thereby preventing a temperature rise of the cover.
The above heat shielding member can temporarily intercept the heat emitted from the fusing device from being transferred to the cover, but there is a limitation in maintaining a temperature of the cover low only by the heat shielding member in a circumstance in which the fusing device continuously emits heat.